BWX Technologies said Monday it has opened its Centrifuge Manufacturing Development in Oak Ridge, Tenn., supporting national defense-focused uranium enrichment for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
BWXT, based in Lynchburg, Va., was awarded a $1.5 billion-value contract from NNSA in September to assist NNSA in creating a reliable supply of enriched uranium. The company plans to create the Domestic Uranium Enrichment Centrifuge Experiment (DUECE) pilot plant.
DUECE will be located at BWXT’s Nuclear Fuel Services site in Erwin, Tenn.
The Centrifuge Manufacturing Development Facility marks a key milestone in the program, BWXT said in the press release. The facility will serve as BWXT’s primary hub for the design, engineering, fabrication and testing of advanced gas centrifuge machines, the company said.
The facility will also feature “precision manufacturing space, in-house quality assurance and testing capabilities and specialized infrastructure to support future centrifuge production,” according to the release. Nearly 100 workers are supporting the facility with plans for future expansion, BWXT added.
BWXT acquired 97 acres of land in Oak Ridge in April 2025 and broke ground for the facility in June 2025.
“This facility signifies the kind of speed, focus and capability our national security demands,” NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams said in the release. “By restoring a fully domestic uranium enrichment capability for defense needs, we are ensuring the United States can meet its defense fuel requirements now and into the future, strengthening our nuclear deterrent and maintaining assured second-strike capability.”